Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The downtown revitalization effort is of high interest for the City Council and staff’s minds these days, said Eric Markell.
“It seems like we get a lot done even though the agendas are pretty small,” he said. “The downtown project is a big thing.
“I don’t know if that’s the first step the city needs to take to draw in more people, more business.”
Markell said he thinks the city definitely needs to capitalize on recreation more as well as helping out businesses, maybe showing a little more leeway and being “more business friendly,” he said. “I think the main thing is helping them out financially.”
One local businessman told him that if he had to deal with stricter requirements, he wouldn’t have been able to establish his business, Markell said. Moneywise, the city isn’t hurting. Markell said he would support tax incentives to help develop businesses if it came up.
“I’d like to improve our parks,” he said. “The city Parks Board has been talking about a dog park or several smaller dog parks, fenced open areas where dogs can run off the leash. That’s something he would like to see developed.”
While parks have been getting some attention, he would like to see them get more, he said. Some, such as Ashbrook, are mostly weeds.
“I’d like to see the parks used more,” he said. He thinks they might be if they’re better kept.
“It just takes money,” he said. “I’d like to see more money put toward those than other things.”
Probably the most controversial subject since the last election two years ago was the council’s decision to permit Texas Hold ‘Em tournaments in commercial establishments.
“That was the biggest thing people wanted me to pass,” Markell said. “Unfortunately, that was the biggest thing I heard from people. Maybe it’s just my generation.”
He continues to support that decision.
His top budget priority is law enforcement, he said, “not just because I’m a cop.”
That was a big argument in Coburg, where he was recently laid off in budget cuts, he said. He also holds similar views about Public Works.
When law enforcement is cut and crime rates rise, it’s more difficult to reduce crime when funding is restored, he said, but “cuts should affect every department if they’re going to happen.”
Right now, the council has age diversity, he said about why residents should vote for him, and that’s one of the best things about this council.
He also brings two perspectives to the job, he said, as a public employee working with the Coburg City Council and as a citizen of Sweet Home.
Markell, 32, was laid off last week following budget cuts in Coburg. He was an officer there for four and a half years. Previously, he was a Sweet Home officer for five years.
He earned a bachelor of arts degree in administration of justice from the University of Hawaii.
He is married to Rachel. They have two children, Rylee, 2, and Peyton, 1.
He was first elected to the City Council two years ago.